


Sir Poke

by MarvelousMenagerie (HiddenOne)



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Attempting to Grow Things, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Plants, Sir Poke the Cactus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:41:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25609072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenOne/pseuds/MarvelousMenagerie
Summary: Tony has never been good at growing things, but Bucky has a new plan to sneak a few more plants into their space - a small stubby cactus friend.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 16
Kudos: 217





	Sir Poke

**Author's Note:**

  * For [monobuu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/monobuu/gifts).



> For buu who asked for Bucky with a green thumb and Tony with a black thumb but they make it work and Tony gets a new friend!!

“Oh, hey! I didn’t realize you were home!” Tony exclaimed as he wandered into the living room.

Bucky was sneaky and usually ended up startling Tony - sometimes on purpose and sometimes not - but it looked like this time Tony had startled him. Tony was putting it down for the record books.

Then he saw the bags that Bucky was trying to hide behind his back. There was only one thing that Bucky would try to hide buying from him, and the leaves poking out of the top confirmed it.

“Oh no. No, no, no,” Tony started because he wasn’t one to give up the fight even though he knew he was going to lose. It was all in the way that Bucky’s face went sad and Bucky’s eyes went big and pleading. “No,” Tony tried to stress. “There’s no room!”

Tony gestured around their place.

Plants were everywhere. Vines snaking up and down and around, with leaves that stretched and tickled Tony’s arms as he tried to pass by. Pots of plants were everywhere pots could possibly be, both floor and tables. He’d designed baskets to hang from the ceiling, with greenery draping down over the sides.

Whatever color the walls were, Tony honestly couldn’t remember because mostly all he could see was _green_. Though there were pops of color, with something always blooming or about to bloom. And it was a good thing Tony didn’t have allergies because the orange flowers - Tony’d forgotten what Bucky had called them - were scattering pollen everywhere, leaving a nice coating of yellow dust over everything.

There was no room for the blooming orange flowers out on their deck area, of course. The only space there was a little walkway for Bucky to toe along and reach all the pots to be able to water and prune.

The only fight Tony had managed to win so far was the fight over putting plants in front of the sliding glass door that led to the deck. Bucky had wanted more plants in the better lighting, but Tony had wanted to keep his view of a shirtless Bucky caressing and crooning to the plants while Tony sat on the couch, sipping his coffee and enjoying the view.

Tony had won, because that was way too important a battle to let plants block _that_ scenery.

“I’ll find a space,” Bucky promised. “You won’t even notice!”

Tony raised his eyebrows in disbelief. Bucky had made that promise before, and that had led to Tony tripping over plants too many mornings and getting blamed for not noticing Bucky’s rearrangement that hadn’t been there the night before.

Though Tony had almost killed something, so Bucky’s sad face had been a little bit warranted.

“They were dying from lack of attention in that nursery.” Bucky pouted. He went for the full effect, with the eyes and the lips and even the shoulder droop. “I couldn’t leave them there.”

Tony rubbed his face. That was the thing. He was never going to actually say no, just like Bucky was never going to be able to say no to a plant whose leaves were turning brown and getting passed over at whatever shop Bucky had stopped by today.

Tony sighed as loudly as he could, but Bucky knew what that meant.

Bucky’s lips quirked up into a smile. “I got you something.”

Tony’s exasperation flipped to excitement like a switch. “Really?” He bounced on his toes. “You did? What? Gimme gimme.” Tony held out his hands for his present. “Next time lead with that.”

Bucky shrugged, sheepish. “I mean, I know that I’m particular about most of these guys we have-”

Tony snorted. That was an understatement. If Bucky was out of town, even for just a day or two, then Bucky had Natasha come over and take care of the plants. Tony wasn’t allowed to touch them.

Given that Tony knew he had a black thumb - sometimes literally, with the oil stains - he wasn’t upset about it. His mom had had an extensive garden growing up, but her advice had always been to hire gardeners rather than any tips on actually how to grow things.

Bucky pulled out a small pot, and in the pot was a tiny cactus. A small, round stump with spikes running up its sides. The entire plant couldn’t me more than three inches tall.

“It’s yours,” Bucky said as he held the pot out for Tony.

Tony slowly reached out and cupped the pot between his hands. “For me?”

Something in Tony’s chest went all liquid and hot as he stared down at the little spiky green stub.

“Yup.” Bucky beamed. “I can help you take care of it, but it’s not too involved. A little water when the soil gets dry and you’re good to go.”

Tony brought the plant to his chest. “Really? He’s for me? You know I kill plants, I mean -”

“I think you’ll do a great job,” Bucky assured. “I’ll help, but I think you’ll be fine.”

Tony sniffed. “Really?”

“Really.”

Tony whirled around and went to go find his computer. He had research he needed to do on how to best take care of this little guy. As he settled at the table, laptop in front of him, he carefully set his new friend beside the keyboard.

“How do you feel about ‘Sir Poke’?” Tony asked the plant as he pulled up a browser. “You look like a knightly kind of fellow. Very distinguished.”

Tony heard Bucky’s attempt at muffling his laughter, but Tony ignored him. He waited for a moment, wondering if the spikes would curl in displeasure if that was an unacceptable name.

“Sir Poke it is,” Tony declared since he saw no form of protest.

Bucky walked by and kissed the top of his head. “You’re adorable.”

“Of course I am,” Tony agreed and then he started researching.

* * *

Tony took to carrying Sir Poke around the house to make sure that he got the best sunlight over the course of the day. He had a brief fight with Bucky over the moving of other plants - which Bucky argued shouldn’t have been moved - in Tony’s quest to give Sir Poke the very best light, but Tony apologized to Bucky’s plants and Bucky apologized to Sir Poke and they found a way for all the plants to happily share the space while Bucky and Tony did their own apologies to each other in the bedroom.

Sir Poke shouldn’t see such acts, Tony claimed, even if the light in the bedroom was great at that hour.

He set up reminders for when Sir Poke should be watered. Tony even found he could stroke the spikes very very carefully and he wouldn’t draw his own blood.

Bucky was very firm that blood would not help Sir Poke grow better, even if there were more nutrients then just water alone. He repeated this advice at many of the weekly checkups that Tony made Bucky give to Sir Poke.

Tony wanted to see Sir Poke flourish, not just scrape by on surviving Tony’s care. If the nutrients in blood would help, he would’ve been glad to donate.

“He’s doing great,” Bucky said as he set Sir Poke carefully back on the cleared space for him in the direct sunlight. It was one of the times where Sir Poke had to share with some of Bucky’s plants, but Bucky made sure to position him in a good spot.

Tony gave a sigh of relief. Things were going well, but there was always that little knot of anxiety that this time Bucky would find something horribly wrong with Sir Poke.

Yes, Tony knew how hardy cacti could be, but this wasn’t Sir Poke’s natural environment. Sir Poke was allowed to be high maintenance so far from his usual home. 

“And you’re doing great.” Bucky rewarded Tony with a deep, thorough kiss.

Tony hummed, eyes fluttering open again when Bucky pulled back.

“You want another knight in Sir Poke’s army?” Bucky asked. “Or maybe he wants a squire?”

Tony eyed Bucky. “You didn’t already get him a friend, did you?” Tony peered around for a bag that Bucky might have sneaked by him.

Bucky laughed. “No, I don’t have any more plant surprises for you. Not this time.”

“Ah,” Tony said with no small amount of relief. “Then maybe not yet.”

“Okay,” Bucky said agreeably and kissed the corner of Tony’s lips. “No pressure, just wanted to ask. Only one of us needs to fill the entire place with plants.”

“Exactly! Or, well, kind of exactly,” Tony said. He hurried over to his computer and brought up the design schematics. “I mean, Sir Poke is a cactus. He deserves a desert climate to fully thrive, doesn’t he?”

“Doll -”

Tony shoved his laptop into Bucky’s face. “So I’m thinking - I mean, we don’t want to kill your plants all for Sir Poke. But maybe on the roof I could build a greenhouse. An arid one, which are specifically for cacti! Then Sir Poke could have his army and -”

“You want to build -”

“-we could get all the cacti! I mean, how many of those poor plants are suffering in too humid climates? Or are over watered because they don’t have soil that drains properly? This is a plant crisis!”

Bucky face was twisted, torn between concern and amusement as he looked over Tony’s schematics. “You know, most people build up their plant family a bit slower than skipping ahead to a whole greenhouse.”

“An _arid_ greenhouse.”

Bucky’s face settled fully on amusement as he handed the laptop back to Tony. “Well, _I_ _’m_ certainly not going to stop you.”

“Of course not.” Tony snorted and set the laptop aside. “You’re going to help me build the thing. No shirts allowed, by the way.”

Bucky laughed. “I created a monster,” he teased as his arms circled Tony’s waist.

“What can I say? You handed me Sir Poke and it was love at first sight.”

“Do I need to be jealous?” Bucky nuzzled at Tony’s neck.

Tony smirked. “Maybe a little.”

Bucky gave a playful growl.

“I am building a whole arid greenhouse for him,” Tony mused. He gave Bucky a sharp grin. “I suppose I could think of building one for you and you could get some more plants.” Tony swiped at a leafy front that was dangling nearby. “But you might have to _convince_ me.”

In one swift motion, Bucky had Tony slung over his shoulder and was headed to the bedroom.

“Tell Sir Poke to avert his eyes,” Bucky warned.


End file.
